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Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

I had no idea how much Mr. Montoya was into.

I also had NO idea I was psychic.

I was talking to Jezzy today (TODAY). Her story is in the humor section. I said, "I wish "The World of Myth" would have two e-zines. One would be free and would be EXACTLY what it is now. The other one would be sold, and it would pay .05 cents a word. The money would come in from "reading fees" by contributing authors.

Reading the interview, I became EXCITED!! WHY?

Ah, dear one, must you ask?

"The World of Myth" is destined for greatness. It's ONLY a matter of time. Primium Issue? I VOTE YES!!!!!!

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

I'm skeptical about a premium issue that'd charge a reading fee. I know I'd never sub to any 'zine that charged to read. Ideally, whoever is responsible for pulling in the advertisers should get off their ass and do their job. That's where money to pay contributors should come from.

I like TWOM. I think it is a well layed out 'zine and if the polls are accurate, it gets around 2-3 thousand readers a issue. Surely, the advertisers are out there.

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

I would like to begin by pointing out that Dave did not use the term "reading fee" during his interview, but rather "entry fee." At first, the difference may seem to be a matter of semantics, but I believe it is important to note the positive and negative imagery between the two.

On the one hand, writers want to be paid for their work. This is the goal that most artists works toward. As John pointed out, that desire is so strong that some authors are willing to pay to have their work read by a reputable magazine editor. They hope that a small investment, such as a "reading fee" will pay off big when their work is published.

On the other hand, Kelly has a valid point as well. Not even big publishing companies, such as Tor, DAW and others, charge such fees. It's analogous to paying a potential employer to give you an interview. He is also correct in saying that authors and staff should be paid from income derived from advertisers - just as with any other magazine.

When Dave used the term "entry fee," he meant it in terms of authors entering a contest. As a publisher, he understands that writers want to be paid for their work. The problem, however, is that TWoM does not currently pull in enough subscribers/readers to attract a sufficient number of well paying advertisers.

We have been aggressively trying to increase those numbers and spread the word about our magazine. But what do we do in the mean time? In his interview, David suggests the idea of a contest and I wholeheartedly support him in this. While he and I have yet to work out the full details of such a competition, the ultimate goal would be to use the entry fees collected and pay the Member of the Month winner, as decided by the poll results.

Without a doubt, it is a controversial issue. I'm not sure there is a perfect solution but I think Dave is on the right track. In working with him, I have found him to be a man of integrity, so whatever he decides you can be assured that it will be in the best interest of this magazine.

One last thing...
TWoM was originally created to showcase new authors, artists and poets. It was meant to be a place where up-and-coming writers can find an opportunity to get their work published while simultaneously entertaining our readers. If we, after all efforts, still find that we are unable to pay our writers, then let us remember that TWoM continues to fulfill its most basic function.

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

Was it just me or was that one really looooong and boring interview. Maybe next time he can wait six years to do another one! LOL!

As fas as the paying thing, who cares what would be so different for us the viewers?

Ricky

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

Boring eh?

Hmmm... the fact that Dave is still recovering is good enough for me. Although I suppose I was the one having most of the fun there. Kyle did a great job as apprentice though.

Thanks for your feedback.

Kevin "MM" Adams

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

Oh come on Rick, you still bitter about the comic book thing?

I enjoyed it, very insightful!

TJ

Re: Interview with David K. Montoya! / Premium Issue

Rick,

The difference for the readers would be a better issue. If the writers were paid, you'd have more diverse stories from a plethora of different writers. Speaking just for me, I don't send my "A-list" stories to non-paying markets and I doubt many of the contributors here do either.

The publisher and editor would have more options when choosing what content goes in. Thus, a better product. This isn't to say the stories featured here aren't top shelf. But I seriously doubt authors like Charlotte Gledson, Jezzy Wolfe, Sarah Wilson, Terry Scheerer etc... will continually offer their best work for free. And they shouldn't.